Authority and the Sacred

Beschreibung

Beschreibung

The Christianization of the Roman world lies at the root of modern Europe. Peter Brown's fascinating study examines the factors that proved decisive and the compromises that made the emergence of the Christian conception of existence possible. He also shows how Christian holy men were less representative of a triumphant faith than negotiators of a working compromise between the new faith and traditional ways of dealing with the supernatural worlds.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface; 1. Christianisation: narratives and process; 2. The limits of intolerance; 3. Arbiters of the Holy: the Christian holy man in late antiquity; Notes; Index.

Pressestimmen

'A brilliant book, by a scholar to whom church historians are already deeply indebted, providing ample material for further debates.' The Expository Times ' ... the treatment is fresh and independent'. The Times Literary Supplement